Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic

jeffbanke · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:58 am

So lets go through the content aware replacement process
Lets pick a couple of suitable images to use, so I have chosen the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, and a sunset over the Valley of Fire in Nevada, which is itself a sky replacement using the same method.

jeffbanke · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 12:18 pm

First a selection is made using the quick selection tool, then we use "Refine edge to clean it up and output to a layer mask

ruxpriencdiam · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 12:25 pm

OK quick selection tool on 07012010-Valley of fire Sunset comp forum.jpg and clone in sky.

And then Magic wand on the other and clone in sky.

Elements 9.

jeffbanke · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 12:32 pm

Next you use the paint tool to touch up the mask, switching from black to white depending if you want to add or remove information

Next drag the sky from Bridge and drop it onto the image of Hagia Sopia, where it appears on top of the original image as a smart object.
Double click on the sunset image after positioning it where you want it.
Then reverse the order of the layers and flip the sunset to match the shadows in the scene
Finally a little color tweaking to make the lighting match the sky and viola.

rinder99 · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 12:50 pm

NICE.Ya trees used to be a hassle. Content aware is quite an amazing tool.This would have been a PITA. content aware did it in 3 seconds. Darn Cool.

jeffbanke · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:21 pm

I had a phone call in the middle of that little tutorial;-)
Hope every one can jump around and figure out what was going on, Barry ended up in the middle of it (due to my pausing for the phone call) with his show and tell that the same can be done in Elements, as in PSCS5, so there is no need to buy a $650 package, Elements 10 you can get for less than $149 which is the RRP.

Anyway, Content aware is a great tool, for either removing an unsightly wire or anything, like Laurins tree, however you have to be careful with the replication, it can be obvious at times. You can see in Laurin's example the patch of sky has been replicated a little too well, so some minor touch up can be applied to improve that, like so.

scotrus96 · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:32 pm

Jeff,
that topic of your is really helpful for everybody.
Thank you

jeffbanke · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:45 pm

ruxpriencdiam · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:59 pm

Now that i am back again Elements also has content aware.

Sorry bout that Jeff i thought you were done.

jeffbanke · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 2:10 pm

Here is an example of what at first sight looks like a good replacement, but upon close inspection demonstrates that one needs to do some fine tuning.
So we have the quick tool selection. content aware fill. and finished image

jeffbanke · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 2:14 pm

So what is wrong with this picture?
Look closely and you find the grass selected for the content aware fill was from a place further back in the image and was not in focus. So the surrounding grass which is in focus is much sharper looking

jeffbanke · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 2:16 pm

rinder99 · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:26 pm

Your right Damn. Posted the wrong one not finished. Good eye man.Im having trouble the last few days, getting errors upon posting Images.Says it's there then disappears. Bizarre.

Been playing with something lately. file/scrips/statistics and doing composites of 2/3 different cloud Images into one. pretty cool.

ruxpriencdiam · Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:24 am

I am still thinking about the flying fish.

So how about this one how did i get from this one pic to the other that is a bit blue.

And you can enter to win a Canon 5D Mk III here if you would like?

http://bit.ly/HD2IoW